


Sick Penguin Storage

by orphan_account



Series: Happier Feet Than Yours [5]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, penguin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 02:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6735061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Astra breaks her promise to leave sick Little J'onn at home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sick Penguin Storage

Astra and Alex sat beside each other in the DEO briefing room, listening to Hank run through the specifications of the alien craft that they were preparing to salvage from the Las Palmas water basin.  It wasn’t Kryptonian but its transmissions were in Valtaran, a language that Astra happened to speak.

“Our readings are actually better than usual for a craft this size,” he was saying, pointing to the central screen and looking around the table at Vasquez, Alex, Astra, and Kara.  “We think this thing was actually broadcasting its specs because it  _ wants _ to be found.  A top-line glance at our readings suggest–”

“Squak.”

Hank paused.  It had been very small, very muffled.  He was clearly wondering if he’d imagined it.  He went on.  “–top-line glance at the data suggests that it’s powered by a quad-core antimatter fusion engine, and that the four-engine setup has a–”

“Squak.”

Louder and more insistent this time.

Alex glared at Astra.  “Please tell me you didn’t.”

Hank looked over at Alex.  “Agent Danvers, would you and the general like to share with the class?”

“Squak.”  It was still muffled.  It was coming from the large messenger bag in Astra’s lap, the one that functioned as a purse.  

Alex continued glaring at Astra.  “Go on, you might as well.”

Astra sighed and unzipped the bag.  A tiny penguin head popped out, turned and looked first at Astra, then at Alex, then at Hank.  “Squak!” he said again.

Hank rubbed his temples for a moment.  “Agent Danvers,” he demanded, “why is there a penguin in my briefing room?”

Astra spoke up.  “Look at his condition, I could not leave him alone.”

The penguin, who admittedly looked a little bedraggled, sneezed once, as if on cue.  Alex suspected that he had been coached.  “Astra,” she scolded quietly, “I thought we agreed you would leave Little J’onn home.”

Astra sighed heavily.  “Alex, he is sick.  I could not leave him.  He does not look well.”

Alex had to admit that he did in fact look a little worse for wear.  “He’s also been traveling in a messenger bag for the last hour and a half.”  The penguin sneezed again.

“Astra,” Hank demanded, “did you expect to bring your sack full of arctic waterfowl on the actual salvage mission?”

“Naturally it would be too dangerous,” Astra scoffed, not quite absorbing his sarcasm.  “And he is a Galapagos penguin, Director.”

“So what, then, was your plan, General?”

“Clearly he would have to remain here.”

Hank gestured around.  “General, do you see a sign in here anywhere that says Sick Penguin Storage?”

Astra glanced around, then reported, “I do not.”

“Do you know why that is, General?”

Astra shook her head.

“It’s because storing sick penguins isn’t what we do here at the DEO.”

Astra sighed.  “It will take me too long to fly all the way home with him and then come back.  I know that you don’t wish to wait for that.”

Hank rubbed his temples some more, looking like he wanted to throttle Astra, but that wasn’t really an option at the moment.  “Then what do you propose, General?”

Alex sighed heavily.  “Hank, obviously Astra needs to go, but I can stay here with Little J’onn, and–”

Hank stared at Alex for half a moment.  “You named it… Little J’onn?”

Alex sighed again.  It would have been fun to have this conversation under different circumstances.  “Astra named him.  After you.  So that I would keep him.”

A look crossed Hank’s face that Alex recognized as him tamping down his amusement.  “I see.  And apparently that tactic worked.”  He looked at the little penguin, who was looking back at him inquisitively.  He lifted his tiny beak and gave out his cutest “squak”.  Astra tickled his belly and he erupted in those little fits of penguin giggles.

Alex frowned at Astra and soldiered on.  “Yeah, he’s your godson, sort of.  Anyway...So you can go with Astra, and I’ll stay here with him, and–”

“I’m afraid that won’t work, Agent.  You’re the biologist here, we’re going to need you onsite to assess anyone or anything that might be alive in that craft.”  He looked between the two women sitting in front of him, Alex looking sheepish and Astra looking very calm and matter-of-fact.  “Clearly, it will have to be Agent Vasquez or myself.”

“Sir,” Vasquez objected, “I really don’t know the first thing about penguins.”

Hank sighed.  “Vasquez, you go with the team.  I will remain here with my ... godson.”

  
  


********

 

When Alex and the team returned from the crash site with a dead Valtaran in tow, the found Hank where they’d left him; at the briefing table in the situation room.  The little penguin was standing on the table, and Hank was holding a bag of microwave popcorn.  “Now stand straight, Little J’onn,” he was saying.  The little penguin stood at attention.  Hank tossed a kernel of popcorn into the penguin’s mouth.  Alex and Astra watched in disbelief as the munched on it for a moment before swallowing.

“Now salute,” Hank said.

Little J’onn lifted his flipper once, held it as high as he could, and snapped it back down at his side.  Hank tossed another popcorn kernel into his mouth.

Alex strolled up, chuckling.  “Hello, Little J’onn,” she said to the penguin.  “Hello, Big J’onn,” she said more softly to Hank.  “You’re giving him popcorn?”

“Oh,” Hank replied, “he loves it.”

“You’re making him do tricks?”

“No no, not tricks.  I’m training him to be an agent.  Look, he can already salute.”  

Little J’onn snapped his flipper up again, held it for a moment, and snapped it back down to his side.  

“That’s my boy,” Astra cooed, coming over and kissing the top of his little penguin head.  

Alex was both impressed and amused.  “You know Hank, I’m not sure popcorn is good for penguins.”

“Well,” he said cheerfully, gathering up Astra’s messenger bag and handing it to her, “That’ll be your problem, not mine.”


End file.
